NPR News: 07-23-2026 10AM EDT

Kristen Wright· Host0:00

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Kristen Wright. President Trump says he's placing a condition on Washington's new nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia. In a post on social media, he says the deal is subject to Saudi Arabia normalizing diplomatic relations with Israel by joining the Abraham Accords signed in 2020. The Saudi nuclear agreement allows the US to build and run nuclear energy plants in the kingdom. The president's post also says the deal doesn't allow for the enrichment of uranium. Daniel Benaim is with the Middle East Institute, and he was a deputy assistant secretary of state in the Biden administration.

Daniel Benaim· Soundbite0:38

I think that the actual terms of this deal, at least as they've been reported, are kind of very unique in which a US company might be operating inside Saudi Arabia without actually sharing sensitive nuclear technology. Those seem like terms that other countries wouldn't particularly want. But I think it is a real concern that other countries will say, "This is the new baseline, and we can follow it," and it will require a lot of very careful and assertive diplomacy by the United States to make sure that this doesn't become the new normal for every country in the region, which I don't think would be in our interest.

Kristen Wright· Host1:07

That's Daniel Benaim speaking to Morning Edition. House Republicans are referring former Special Counsel Jack Smith to the Justice Department for possible prosecution. NPR's Carrie Johnson reports the lawmakers are citing statements Smith made under oath to Congress last year.

Carrie Johnson1:24

House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, a Republican from Ohio, is urging the DOJ